Track Spotlight: Women Harriers Take Fifth Place; Men Ninth at Philly Metro Monday, September 27, 2004 By Bob Heller USIP Sports Information Director The USP men’s and women’s cross country teams recorded a pair of top 10 finishes at Saturday’s Philadelphia Metro Cross Country Invitational at Belmont Plateau as the women took fifth place and the men took ninth. The USP women finished with 178 points behind defending champion Haverford College (60), DeSales University (64), West Chester University (106) and defending CACC champion Georgian Court College (163). The Devils fifth place finish was their best in this event since the 1998 season. (5th place) Leading the way for the Devils was Joy Aifuwa (Fr., Edison HS/Edison, NJ). Aifuwa completed the 5,000-meter course in 20:56.14. Kate Jordan (Sr., Delaware Valley HS/Athol, NY) was the second Devil to cross the line, finishing 45th overall with a time of 23:02.96. Right behind Jordan was Shelby Rance (So., Central Columbia HS/Bloomsburg, PA) in 46th place (23:06.70). Elizabeth Hay (Sr., Hempfield HS/Landisville, PA) finished 50th with a time of 23:22.29 and Sarah Reeser (Jr., Dover Area HS/Thomasville, PA) rounded out the USP top five with a 54th place finish and a time of 23:42.95. On the men’s side the Devils scored 273 points to place ninth. Richard Stockton College defended their title with 44 points. Felician College was second with 54 points and DeSales was third with 74 points. USP’s ninth place finish was their best at the Metro since the 2000 season. (8th place) Crossing first for the men was Joseph Holton (Jr., Archbishop Ryan HS (Pa)/North Wildwood, NJ) in 61st place overall with a time of 32:51.24. Vladimir Mezhiritskiy (So., Northeast HS/Philadelphia, PA) was the second USP finisher, completing the 8,000-meter course in 33:47.10 (66th place). Ryan Pell (So., West York HS/York, PA) finished 73rd with a time of 34:55.10 and Ivan Sergeyev (Jr., Hunter College HS/New Rochelle, NY) was 81st with a time of 36:54.54. Jonathan Hanna (Jr., Old Bridge HS/Parlin, NJ) rounded out the Devils top five with a time of 36:59.34. (83rd place). The Devils return to Belmont Plateau next week to compete in the 10th annual Belmont Classic on Saturday, October 2, 2004.